Space exploration is a rapidly developing field. The types of spacecraft cover a vast range including manned hard shelled space stations, space shuttles, and satellites—to name a few. These crafts usually provide invaluable information and services. However, the fact that these devices are operating in the generally inhospitable environment of space incorporates a unique set of issues. One such issue is a limitation of the amount of power that is available to the craft.
Many spacecraft are deployed with a power system designed to support a particular onboard system requirement. Several reasons may arise that could require an increased power supply. For example, existing power supplies may degrade over time. Solar cells may become damaged or suffer failures. Another example is the possibility of increased power requirements due to more crew members on a spacecraft or experiments that have high power requirements.
What is needed is a solar generator tug to assist in providing more power to a spacecraft. The solar generator tug could also be adaptable to work with other specialty tugs in space.